Asimplethree-dimensionaltidalmodelisusedtoexaminetheM2tidalcurrentdistributioninanortheasternpartoftheEastChinaSea,especiallytheverticalvariationofthecurrentintheregion.ComputedM2currentiscomparedwithobservationsavailableandfoundtobeingoodagreement.Mainfeaturesofthecalculatingmethodinthisstudyare:(1)Verticalvariationofthetidalcurrentistakenasafunetionofthedepth-meanvelocity:(2)themethodisapplicabletoavarietyoftheverticaleddyviscosities;(3)ithasafineverticalresolution,especiallyneartheseabootom.So,thismethodnotonlyenablesustogetasteadystatesolutioneasilybutalsodepictseffectsofthefrictionontheverticalvariationofthecurrentmuchbetter.
